Cowher Slashes Stewart’s Role

It was a tough week for the slash.

On Tuesday, the NFL banned throat-slashing gestures.

And after Pittsburgh’s 27-20 loss to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday--the Steelers sixth loss in seven home games--Coach Bill Cowher said Kordell “Slash” Stewart is no longer his team’s starting quarterback.

But first, Cowher denied that he wants out of the final three years on his $6-million contract. Cowher said published reports that he wants to coach expansion Houston or move into the “Monday Night Football” booth were “ludicrous.”

“There’s no truth to it,” said Cowher, who coached his hometown Steelers to the playoffs every year from 1992-97, but is 12-15 the last two seasons. “I’m not going to discuss it any more.”

Cowher did say that Stewart will be replaced Thursday at Jacksonville by Mike Tomczak, with Stewart at least temporarily reviving his “Slash” role as a part-time receiver and quarterback.

Stewart has slumped badly since midseason a year ago. He was benched early in the second quarter Sunday after throwing two interceptions that helped Cincinnati open a 24-3 lead. Stewart has led only two touchdowns drives in the Steelers’ five home games, both following turnovers.

Stewart returned on one play as a wide receiver, but the Steelers had too many men on the field and had to call a timeout. Stewart left the field following the timeout.

“I guess Slash is back,” said Stewart, who has 31 career receptions for 528 yards and four touchdowns. “Coach asked me if I wanted to go in as a receiver, and I wasn’t going to be selfish and say no. I decided to give it a try. But I know my time will come again. Sometimes, when you’re trying your hardest, it’s best to just step away.

“I’m not looking at it as me being demoted.”

SLASH, PART II

Willie Whitehead of the New Orleans Saints apparently needs an interpretation of the NFL’s crackdown on the throat-slashing gesture.

In the first quarter of a 43-12 victory by the St. Louis Rams, Whitehead sacked Kurt Warner. He celebrated by running his finger across his throat, an action that wasn’t penalized but could leave Whitehead open to a fine by the league.

“I do something that looks a little like a throat slash,” Whitehead said. “It wasn’t that. I was doing something else, I was giving to God. Nobody said anything about it on the field.”

NOSTRADAMUS IN CLEATS

Somebody get Caltech on the line.

Tennessee’s Derrick Mason can apparently predict earth-shaking events.

Mason returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown against Cleveland Sunday, the franchise’s first punt return for a touchdown in 77 games.

What in the name of Billy “White Shoes” Johnson is going on?

The Titans hadn’t returned a punt for a score since Ernest Givins’ 78-yard return on Dec. 11, 1994. But Mason changed that with his game-breaker in the third quarter.

“We’ve been so close to breaking big plays but haven’t,” said Mason. “Not in three years, or 10 years I guess. I could feel this one coming.”

Of course he could.

After all, Mason’s longest return entering the game was 15 yards.

PATRIOT GAMES

Drew Bledsoe of the Patriots was sacked six times Sunday in a 17-7 loss against Buffalo, which New England can look at two ways.

The positive: The sacks prevented Bledsoe from having more than one pass intercepted. Remember, he had eight passes picked off in his previous two games.

The negative: The Patriots were held scoreless almost the entire game and have now lost five of their last seven.

“I’m pretty down,” said Bledsoe, who threw a 45-yard pass to Terry Glenn with 2:41 to play to avoid New England’s first shutout in six years. “To lose three in a row and to feel like you’re ultimately responsible for that is a very depressing thing.”

You’re not alone, Drew.

“We’re not making plays on offense, and we’re putting ourselves in tight situations,” said Patriot Coach Pete Carroll, who is sitting on a hot seat. “We’re not playing good enough football.”

Which is not to say the Patriots aren’t being aggressive. Off the field, anyway.

Consider: New England teammates Vincent Brisby and safety Lawyer Milloy scuffled during a charity event last week. Brisby and Milloy reportedly got into a dispute at a nightclub in Saugus, Mass., and had to be separated by teammates.

SHARING THE PAIN

Cleveland quarterback Tim Couch was sacked seven times against Tennessee and sustained a cut eye and had his mouth bloodied when he was picked up and slammed to the ground in the first half by Jevon Kearse and Kenny Holmes.

Couch lost his helmet on the play and got up wobbly and spitting blood as he staggered back to the huddle.

“That hurt me,” Cleveland offensive tackle Orlando Brown said. “I felt it.”

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL . . .

Cleveland defensive end Derrick Alexander sacked Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair on a play that looked as if it had been whistled dead before the snap.

But Alexander never heard the whistle and as the Titans watched, he kept coming and delivered a crushing hit on McNair.

No foul was called.

“I could not hear the whistle,” referee Bernie Kukar explained to the crowd, “therefore the defender could not hear the whistle.”

Therefore, the quarterback got creamed.

ANOTHER JOB WELL DUNN

Tampa Bay running back Warrick Dunn surprised Bernadette Parker and her six children and two other single mothers Tuesday in Baton Rouge, La., by filling their new houses with new furniture and appliances, and filling their refrigerators with the makings of a Thanksgiving dinner.

He also helped with the down payments.

This is the second year Dunn has helped single mothers in Baton Rouge, where he grew up, buy houses. He started “Homes for the Holidays” in Tampa, Fla., in 1997, the year he signed an $8.8-million contract.

Dunn’s mother, Baton Rouge police Cpl. Betty Smothers, often juggled several jobs to support her family. She was shot to death in 1993 while working an off-duty security job.

Dunn said he chose the recipients from profiles of single mothers who were buying houses with help from the city office of community development.

He was one of six children raised by a single mother, so Parker’s story leaped out at him.

“Their situation is so similar to mine, so I thought it was a good match,” he said. “I hope it’s a match made in heaven.”

RECEIVING ACCOLADES

On a day that Minnesota’s Cris Carter caught his 900th NFL pass and Washington’s Irving Fryar caught his 800th, Carolina’s Donald Hayes might have made the biggest impression with Nos. 8-12.

Panther quarterback Steve Beuerlein had walked into the locker room just before Sunday night’s game against Atlanta and found out that his leading wide receiver, Muhsin Muhammad, had pulled a hamstring in warmups.

News of Muhammad’s injury came three days after fellow wide receiver Rae Carruth, Carolina’s first-round draft choice in 1997, was jailed on three felony charges for allegedly plotting to try to kill his pregnant girlfriend.

Without those two players, Carolina had to resort to Hayes, a fourth-round draft choice out of Wisconsin in 1998 who had seven receptions in two NFL seasons.

“He stepped in there and played like an old pro,” Beuerlein said after Hayes had five catches for 133 yards to lead Carolina to a 34-28 victory. “Heck, he played like an All-Pro.”

Said Hayes: “I got a chance to show people what I can do other than practice. I think I did all right.”

--Compiled by Gary Klein